First Appointment

What Will Happen At Your First Appointment

The purpose of your first appointment is to gather as much information about you as possible. I will ask you what has brought you to see me, how long you have been dealing with this issue, and whether you have had this problem in the past.

I will ask you about your current life situation. This includes home life, work, family relationships and similar things.

I will also ask you about your relationships when you were growing up, and about any life experiences you feel may be important for me to know about.

In addition I’ll ask you about your health, both past and present. I’ll also be interested in learning about the health of your family members, especially about parents, grandparents, brothers, and sisters.

This appointment (called an “Evaluation”) can take anywhere from one to two hours.

At the end of that time, in most cases, I’ll talk with you about possible options for treatment. I will encourage you to give me honest feedback regarding your feelings about the options I’ve suggested. I want you to be involved in decisions.

Psychiatric care is very individual. In that respect it is as much of an art as a science.